U.S. patent number 8,172,485 [Application Number 13/031,412] was granted by the patent office on 2012-05-08 for end coupling for a rock bolt.
This patent grant is currently assigned to FCI Holdings Delaware, Inc.. Invention is credited to Peter Harold Craig.
United States Patent |
8,172,485 |
Craig |
May 8, 2012 |
End coupling for a rock bolt
Abstract
An end coupling for a shaft of a rock bolt comprises a body
having a lead portion with a leading end, and a tail portion with a
trailing end. The tail portion is arranged to be connected to a
drive to impart rotation to the coupling about its axis. The body
defines a passage extending between the leading and trailing ends
and a first portion of the passage extends from the leading end and
has a first diameter. A second portion of the passage is disposed
adjacent the first portion and has a second diameter that is larger
than said first diameter. A first thread extends along at least
part of the first portion of the passage and is arranged to engage
an external thread on the rock bolt shaft. A rock bolt assembly
incorporating the end coupling is also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Craig; Peter Harold (Cooyal,
AU) |
Assignee: |
FCI Holdings Delaware, Inc.
(Wilmington, DE)
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Family
ID: |
40410027 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/031,412 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2011 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20110142548 A1 |
Jun 16, 2011 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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12203365 |
Sep 3, 2008 |
7896579 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 4, 2007 [AU] |
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2007904781 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
405/259.1; 411/5;
405/302.1; 405/288 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21D
21/0093 (20130101); E21D 21/008 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21D
21/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;405/259.1,288,302.1
;411/5,8,14,427 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lagman; Frederick L
Attorney, Agent or Firm: The Webb Law Firm
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/203,365, filed Sep. 3, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,579,
which claims priority to Australian Application No. 2007904781
filed on Sep. 4, 2007. The entire contents of the above-referenced
applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. An end coupling for a shaft having an external thread, the
coupling having an axis and comprising: a body having a lead
portion incorporating a leading end; a tail portion incorporating a
trailing end, the tail portion having an external drive face to be
connected to a drive to impart rotation to the coupling about the
axis; and an abutment arrangement disposed on an exterior of said
tail portion and forming an external abutment surface that faces
said leading end, wherein the body defines a passage extending
along the axis between said leading and trailing ends, a first
portion of the passage extending from the leading end and having a
first diameter, and a second portion of the passage disposed
adjacent the first portion and having a length that extends from an
end of the first portion to the trailing end of the tail portion,
the second portion of the passage having a second diameter that is
larger than said first diameter for the entire length of the second
portion, and a first thread extending along at least part of the
first portion of the passage and being configured to threadingly
engage an external thread on a shaft.
2. The end coupling according to claim 1, wherein an internal
abutment shoulder is formed in the passage between said first and
second portions, said internal abutment shoulder facing said
trailing end.
3. The end coupling according to claim 1, further comprising a
polymeric plug disposed in the passage in spaced relation from said
leading end and arranged to allow torque up to a threshold level to
be applied to the shaft through the coupling.
4. The end coupling according to claim 3, wherein the plug is
disposed in the first portion of said passage.
5. The end coupling according to claim 4, wherein said plug is
engaged with said first thread.
6. The end coupling according to claim 3, wherein the threshold
level is in the range of 40-160 Nm.
7. The end coupling according to claim 1, wherein the abutment
arrangement is integrally formed with said coupling body.
8. The end coupling according to claim 1, wherein said abutment
arrangement is in the form of a flat washer.
9. The end coupling according to claim 1, wherein said abutment
arrangement is in the form of a dome washer.
10. The end coupling according to claim 1, wherein a second thread
extends along at least a part of the second portion of the passage
and is arranged to threadingly engage a threaded shaft received in
the passage from the trailing end of said coupling.
11. The end coupling according to claim 1, wherein the coupling
body is formed from steel.
12. A rock bolt assembly comprising: a rock bolt having a shaft
extending between opposite first and second ends, a portion of the
shaft adjacent said second end incorporating an external thread;
and an end coupling having an axis and comprising a body having a
lead portion incorporating a leading end, a tail portion
incorporating a trailing end and having an external drive face to
be connected to a drive to impart rotation to the coupling about
the axis, and an abutment arrangement disposed on an exterior of
said tail portion and forming an external abutment surface that
faces said leading end, wherein the body defines a passage
extending along the axis between said leading and trailing ends, a
first portion of the passage extending from the leading end and
having a first diameter, and a second portion of the passage
disposed adjacent the first portion and having a length that
extends from an end of the first portion to the trailing end of the
tail portion, the second portion of the passage having a second
diameter that is larger than said first diameter for the entire
length of the second portion, and a first thread extending along at
least part of the first portion of the passage and being configured
to threadingly engage the external thread on the shaft, wherein the
second end of the shaft is received in the passage of the end
coupling with the external thread being co-operable with the first
thread on the shaft.
13. The rock bolt assembly according to claim 12, wherein the lead
portion has a generally cylindrical outer surface having a maximum
radial displacement from the axis which is not more than 30%
greater than the nominal radius of the shaft.
14. The rock bolt assembly according to claim 12, further
comprising a polymeric plug disposed in the passage in spaced
relation from said leading end and arranged to allow torque up to a
threshold level to be applied to the shaft through the coupling,
and wherein when the shaft is received within the passage, the
second end of the shaft is engaged with the plug, and when so
engaged, the coupling is able to impart torque up to the threshold
level under rotation of the coupling in a first direction and is
able to move axially along the shaft under continued rotation in
the first direction under torque levels above the threshold level
by disengagement of the plug from the coupling body.
15. The rock bolt assembly according to claim 12, wherein a second
thread extends along at least a part of the second portion of the
passage and is arranged to threadingly engage a threaded shaft
received in the passage from the trailing end of said coupling.
16. The rock bolt assembly according to claim 12, wherein an
internal abutment shoulder is formed in the passage between said
first and second portions, said internal abutment shoulder facing
said trailing end, and wherein a stop element is disposed on the
second end of the shaft, the stop element being enlarged as
compared to the rock bolt shaft, and wherein when the shaft is
received in the passage, the stop is located in the second portion
of the shaft and is arranged to engage with the internal abutment
surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to threaded end couplings
and more specifically, but not exclusively, to end couplings for
rock bolts and rock bolt assemblies incorporating such end
couplings.
2. Description of Related Art
Roof and wall support is vital in mining and tunnelling operations.
Mine and tunnel walls and roofs consist of rock strata, which must
be reinforced to prevent the possibility of collapse. Rock bolts
are widely used for consolidating the rock strata.
In conventional strata support systems, a bore is drilled into the
rock by a drill rod, which is then removed and a rock bolt is then
installed in the drilled hole and secured in place typically using
a resin or cement based grout. The rock bolt is tensioned which
allows consolidation of the strata by placing that strata in
compression. The rock bolt is typically formed from a steel
rod.
To allow the rock bolt to be tensioned, the end of the bolt may be
anchored mechanically to the rock formation by engagement of an
expansion assembly on the end of bolt with the rock formation.
Alternatively, the bolt may be adhesively bonded to the rock
formation with a resin bonding material inserted into the bore
hole. Alternatively, a combination of mechanical anchoring and
resin bonding can be employed by using both an expansion assembly
and resin bonding material.
In some environments it is preferable that there is no tail
protruding from the rock face. This is problematic as it makes it
difficult to rotate the installed bolt to effect adequate mixing of
the resin or grout and to subsequently tension the bolt once the
resin/grout has set.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect, there is provided an end coupling for
a shaft having an end portion incorporating an external thread, the
coupling having an axis and comprising a body having a lead portion
incorporating a leading end, and a tail portion incorporating a
trailing end, the tail portion being arranged to be connected to a
drive to impart rotation to the coupling about the axis, wherein
the body defines a passage extending along the axis between said
leading and trailing ends, a first portion of the passage extending
from the leading end and having a first diameter, and a second
portion of the passage disposed adjacent the first portion and
having a second diameter that is larger than said first diameter,
and a first thread extending along at least part of the first
portion of the passage and being arranged to threadingly engage the
external thread on the shaft.
Accordingly, an end coupling according to the above form is
arranged to receive the end portion of shaft within the coupling
passage. With this arrangement the shaft may be threadingly engaged
with the lead portion of the coupling whilst the tail portion of
the coupling, on which a drive may be mounted to rotate the shaft,
may extend beyond the end of the shaft. In this way the tail
portion may be more accessible, particularly in situations where
the end of shaft is recessed in a bore such as may occur in some
rock bolting applications.
In one form, the lead portion has a low profile thereby allowing it
to locate in a bore containing the shaft without requiring any, or
only minimal, enlarging of the bore. In rock bolting applications,
there is typically an annular space of approximately 3-8 mm
thickness between the bore wall and a rock bolt shaft to allow
adequate passage of grout/resin. Accordingly if the lead portion is
sufficiently slim, the coupling can locate in the bore without
requiring enlargement of the whole utilising this gap. In a
particular form, the lead portion has a generally cylindrical outer
surface having a maximum radial displacement from the axis which is
not more than 30% greater than the nominal radius of the shaft.
To allow the end coupling to impart rotation to the shaft, it is
necessary that there is some mechanism for torque to be transferred
between the end coupling and the shaft.
In one form, this torque transfer is provided by incorporation of a
polymeric plug in the passage in spaced relation from said leading
end. In use, when the shaft is received in the coupling and in
threaded engagement with the first thread, the coupling is wound in
a first direction onto the shaft until end of the shaft engages
with the plug. When so engaged, the coupling is able to impart
torque up to a threshold level under rotation of the coupling in
this first direction as the plug acts as a stop and prevents any
further relative rotation between coupling and shaft. However, at
torque levels above the threshold, the plug is caused to fail by
disengaging from the coupling body, thereby allowing the coupling
to move axially along the shaft under continued rotation in the
first direction. In one form, the plug is injected moulded into the
passage. In one form the plug is in intimate contact with the first
thread to allow for the plug to have sufficient break out strength.
In one form the torque threshold at which the plug will fail is in
the range of 40-160 Nm.
In another form the torque transfer is provided by a stop element
disposed on the end portion of the shaft, the stop element being
enlarged as compared to the rock bolt shaft. When the shaft is
received in the passage, the stop is arranged to engage with the
internal abutment surface in the end coupling.
In one form the end coupling further comprises an abutment
arrangement disposed on the exterior of said tail portion and
forming an external abutment surface that faces said leading end.
In one form the abutment arrangement is integrally formed with said
coupling body. In one form the abutment arrangement is in the form
of a flat washer. In another form the abutment arrangement is in
the form of a dome washer.
In one form a second thread extends along at least a part of the
second portion of the passage and is arranged to threadedly engage
a threaded shaft received in the passage from the trailing end of
said coupling.
In a further aspect, there is provided a rock bolt assembly having
a rock bolt including a shaft, and an end coupling in accordance
with any form described above where an end of the shaft is
receivable within the passage of the coupling.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an end
coupling;
FIG. 2 is a leading end view of the end coupling of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a trailing end view of the end coupling of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the end coupling of FIG. 1 in
use;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the end coupling of FIG. 1 in
use;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the end coupling of FIG. 1 in
use;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an end
coupling;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the end coupling of FIG. 5 in
use;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the end coupling of FIG. 5 in
use; and
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the end coupling of FIG. 5 in
use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the FIGS. 1 to 6, disclosed is an end coupling 1 for a
shaft 2 of a rock bolt. The shaft 2 has an end portion 3 which has
an external thread 4. The coupling 1 is arranged to be coupled to
the external thread 4 and is adapted to allow rotation to be
imparted to the shaft 2 when it is located in a bore 10 formed in
rock 100 with little or no shaft tail protruding from the rock face
102.
The end coupling 1 has an axis 5 extending longitudinally along the
end coupling 1. The end coupling 1 is adapted to be rotated about
the axis 5.
The end coupling 1 comprises a body 6 having a lead portion 8 with
a leading end 9. The body 6 further comprises a tail portion 10
which includes a trailing end 11. The tail portion 10 is arranged
to be engaged with a drive to impart rotation to the coupling 1
about the axis 5. In this respect, in the illustrated form, the
tail portion 10 has a non-circular outer surface (which in the form
shown is hexagonal--see FIG. 3).
The body 6 defines a passage 7 extending along the axis 5 between
the leading end 9 and the trailing end 11. The passage 7 has a
first portion 12 extending from and positioned proximal to the
leading end 9. The first portion 12 of the passage 7 has an
internal diameter and at least a portion of the first portion 12 of
the passage 7 is internally threaded with first thread 14. This
first thread 14 allows the first portion 12 of the passage 7 to
threadedly engage the external thread 4 on the end portion 3 of the
shaft 2. Hence, this allows the shaft 2 to be threadedly engaged
with the end coupling 1.
The body 6 further includes a second portion 15 of the passage 7
which has an internal diameter greater than the internal diameter
of the first portion 12.
The difference in diameter between the first portion 12 and the
second portion 15 of the passage 7 results in an abutment shoulder
16 positioned between the first portion 12 and a second portion 15
and facing the trailing end 11.
The end coupling 1 further includes an external abutment shoulder
17 disposed on the exterior of the tail portion 10. This external
abutment 17 is typically in the form of a flat washer or a domed
washer.
The arrangement of the end coupling 1 allows end portion 3 of the
shaft 2 to be threadingly engaged with the lead portion 9 of the
end coupling 1 while the tail portion 10 of the coupling 1 extends
beyond the end of the shaft 2. Hence, the tail portion 10 is
accessible for engagement with a drive which may be mounted on the
tail portion 10 to rotate the shaft 2. This allows for the shaft 2
to be positioned within a bore having little to no tail protruding
from the rock face but still allows the coupling to input torque to
the shaft 2 and tensioning of the rock bolt as will be described in
more detail below.
Turning to FIGS. 4 to 6, a rock bolt assembly is shown comprising
the coupling 1 assembled on the shaft 2. In this embodiment, the
shaft 2 includes a stop 13 at its distal end which is arranged to
locate in the second portion 15 of the passage 7. The stop 13
prevents the end coupling from winding off the shaft end as it is
arranged to engage with the internal abutment 16. To locate the
stop 13 in this position, the coupling 1 is mounted to the shaft 2
prior to installation in the bore 101. The shaft is fed into the
coupling 1 from the trailing end 11 until the thread 4 on the end
portion 3 moves into engagement with the first thread 14 formed on
the coupling. The coupling is then wound in a first direction up
the shaft by engagement of the threads 4 and 14 until the stop 13
moves into engagement with the abutment 16. The assembly is now in
its installation position (as shown in FIG. 4) where any further
rotation of the coupling 1 in the first direction imparts a
corresponding rotation to the shaft 2 by virtue of the engagement
of the stop 13 with the abutment 16.
When in its installation position the coupling 1 and shaft 2 are
ready to be installed in the bore 101 as shown in FIG. 4. The
coupling 1 is able to be rotated in the first direction (typically
by engaging the tail portion 10) which imparts a corresponding
rotation to the shaft which can be used to activate a point anchor
of the rock bolt (not shown) which may be either a mechanical
anchor and/or a resin cartridge. After activation of the point
anchor the rock bolt 50 is ready to be tensioned. This is achieved
by rotating the coupling 1 in an opposite second direction which
causes the coupling to wind down the end portion of the shaft as a
result of engagement between the thread 4 on the shaft and the
internal first thread 14 in the coupling. As shown in FIG. 5, this
causes the stop 13 to move out of engagement with the abutment
surface and causes the external abutment 17 to move into engagement
with the rock face 102 thereby placing the shaft 2 in tension. Rock
support is therefore achieved.
In addition to supporting the rock strata, the coupling can be used
to locate attachments 21 as shown in FIG. 6. In particular the tail
portion 10 of the coupling 1 includes an internal thread 18 which
extends to the trailing end 11. A corresponding nut 22 having an
external thread 23 may be secured to the tail end 11 of the
coupling 1 by engagement of the threads 18 and 23. By locating the
attachment 21 between a head 24 of the nut 22 and the end 11 of the
coupling 1 a simple means of securing the attachment 21 to the rock
bolt assembly is achieved. Typically the attachment 21 is in the
form of hanging brackets or the like which are often required in
mining applications to support mine services.
FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate coupling 19 according to a second
embodiment. As the coupling 19 includes many of the features of the
earlier embodiment like features have been given like reference
numerals.
The primary distinction between the coupling 19 and the coupling 1
of the earlier embodiment is that a polymeric plug is positioned
within the passage, specifically within the first portion 12. This
polymeric plug is injection moulded into the passage 7 in intimate
contact with the first thread 14 of the first portion 12. The
coupling 19 is arranged to be used with a rock bolt 50 having an
end portion 3 incorporating an external thread which extends to the
distal end of the shaft 2. As such, the shaft 2 does not include
the stop 13 as in the earlier embodiment. With this arrangement,
the coupling 19 is arranged to be screwed on to the end portion 3
of the shaft until the end of the shaft is in abutment with the
plug 20. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 8. When so arranged, the
coupling 19 is able to impart torque to the shaft 2 when the shaft
is rotated in the second direction (i.e. in a direction which
causes the coupling to wind down the shaft end). This torque is
able to be imparted by virtue of the engagement of the end of the
shaft 2 with the polymeric plug 20.
When a threshold level of torque is placed on the end coupling 19
the polymeric plug 20 is arranged to disengage from the first
thread 14. At this point the polymeric plug 20 is expelled from the
first portion of the passage through the tailing end 11. typically
the torque threshold at which the plug will fail is in the range of
40-160 Nm. Thereafter the coupling 19 is able to wind down the
shaft end so as to cause tensioning of the shaft 2 by moving the
external abutment surface 17 into engagement with the rock face 102
as shown in FIG. 9.
Again, in a similar arrangement to the earlier embodiment,
attachments 21 are able to be secured to the end of the coupling by
virtue of the internal thread 18 formed within the tail portion 10
of the coupling 19.
Accordingly, an end coupling and rock bolt assembly is provided
which allows for both the transfer of torque and tensioning of rock
bolts for use in mining and similar applications. Furthermore, in
at least one form, the coupling is multifunctional and also
provides an arrangement to allow easier fitting of related
attachments for use in such operations.
It is to be understood that a reference herein to a prior art
document does not constitute an admission that the document forms
part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in
any other country.
In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the
invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to
express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or
variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an
inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated
features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further
features in various embodiments of the invention.
* * * * *